Electric and hybrid vehicles have recently become a more common sight on roads worldwide. They have one thing in common and that is they all require a large and powerful rechargeable battery. Despite the size of such batteries mounted in e.g. electric vehicles, they need to be recharged almost every day, depending on how frequently and how far the vehicle is driven. In a hybrid vehicle, the battery may be charged directly by an internal combustion engine, or it may be charged by an external power supply such as in a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
The power required from a power source in order to charge a rechargeable battery of an electric vehicle is substantial. Due to the high powers, the cables and connectors of the charging system need to be robust and be able to handle the high powers in a reliable way. Furthermore, since an electrical charging current is substantial it is important to protect a user from contact with connectors of the cable to avoid injuries which may be caused by the high currents. Typically, the charging cable is locked and secured to the vehicle when charging. Locking the cable to the vehicle therefore prevents hazardous disconnection of the cable by a user during charging and also prevents theft of the cable. Furthermore, to prevent damages on the vehicle or a charging station, the cable should not be possible to connect to a running vehicle.
A charging system for electrical or hybrid vehicles is for example disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 8,311,690. The disclosed charging system prevents theft of a charging cable, insertion of foreign objects into a vehicle receptacle, or tampering of the charging cable when the battery is being charged. The charging cable may be locked to the receptacle of a power inlet in the vehicle. The locking and unlocking of the charging cable to the power inlet is interconnected with locking and unlocking, respectively, of the vehicle doors.
However, such a system for example restricts the availability of the vehicle to a user during charging. Thus, it would be desirable to have a more flexible charging system.